DAVE'S DIARY - 17/8/2020 - PREVIEW OF EPISODE 13 - SERIES 44
RAY STEVENS HEADLINES NU COUNTRY TV
Georgian octogenarian singer-comedian-actor Ray Stevens headlines our humour charged episode of Nu Country TV on Saturday August 22 at 9.30 pm on Channel 31/Digital 44.
Former BR5-49 singer Chuck Mead and Ron MacCloskey add quarantine vaccine on the show repeated Tuesday 4.30 am, Wednesday 10.30 pm and Friday 1 am.
Delaware singer-songwriter Jimmie Allen avoids the Covid-19 virus on his duet with Noah Cyrus on the program filmed and edited by Laith Graham.
Louisiana born bluegrass artist Billy Droze and Berlin born Melbourne singer Lucille boomerang to the show with their latest videos.
Nu Country TV is a highlight of C 31 streaming list on Digital 44.
Further info - https://www.c31.org.au/
GRANDPA VOTED DEMOCRAT BEYOND THE GRAVE
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Ray Stevens kicks off our political comedy with an historic parody segue to the U.S. elections.
Stevens, 81, resurrects ancestral classic Grandpa Voted Democrat - saga of a long deceased dude whose vote was lodged long after he went to his grave.
He released the prophetic video in 2012 before allegations of Russian interference in the most recent U.S. election.
Stevens recently appeared on Nu Country with topical video Quarantined - the tale of avoiding church because of his isolation.
Dual Grammy winner and frequent Australian tourist Stevens has released more than 100 albums in his recording career that began in 1957.
His satiric hits include Osama, Yo' Mama, Sitting Up With The Dead, The Streaker, The Mississippi Squirrel Revival, Shriners Convention and Ahab The Arab.
Stevens scored headlines when thrown off a camel on St Kilda beach when he was promoting his Ahab The Arab hit.
He also wowed fans at Tamworth Travelodge press conference with his huge Ahab The Arab camel belt buckle that featured his camel named Clyde.
On singing Texan crime novelist Kinky Friedman Lasso From El Paso CD cover The Kinkster used a parody of the Camel cigarettes logo with him riding a camel like Clyde.
When late singer-comedienne Kacey Jones formed trio Ethel & The Shameless Hussies her character was called Ethel Beaverton.
They took their shameless hussies name from Stevens lyric in his hit - The Streak .
Further info - https://raystevens.com/
BIG BAD DON ALMOST GONE
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Singing satirist and actor Ron MacCloskey debuts with his Trump Chump parody Big Bad Don - his take on hair politics.
Ron's resurrection of 1961 Jimmy Dean hit Big Bad John was released five years ago - before the U.S. election.
He was inspired by Allan Sherman - an actor, singer and comedian who died at 48 in 1973
Sherman played a sheriff in 1965 show The Loner and his eight albums included diverse takes on My Son, the Folk Singer, My Son The Nut and My Son The Celebrity.
“Growing up in the 1960's I was very influenced by many performers,” Ron says.
“One of the best was Allan Sherman. He did these amazing song parodies. He wrote and performed them himself. I dedicate Big Bad Don to Mr. Sherman. He was brilliant, talented and funny.”
MacCloskey is best known for Karloff and Me (2006), Boris Karloff: The Man Behind the Monster and The Mandala Maker (2009).
Further info - https://classicmovieswithronmaccloskey.weebly.com/
CHUCK MEAD FROM BR5-49 TO NOWHERE
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Missouri born Chuck Mead toured here with BR5-49 in 1998 when they were managed by expat Australasian Barry Coburn.
Maybe he heard Geoff Mack penned Lucky Starr hit I've Been Everywhere Man that was also recorded by the late Hank Snow and Johnny Cash on that trip.
Chuck's trio debut Behind Bars with their version of I Ain't Been Nowhere - cut in isolation
Mead, who was raised in Lawrence, Kansas, has released five solo albums after leaving BR5-49 .
His previous video for Big Bear In The Sky was on his 2019 album Close To Home.
BR5-49 performed in Sydney to launch the Western Pacific version of CMT in 1998.
CLICK HERE for our BR5-49 feature in The Diary on March 22, 2005.
Further info - http://www.chuckmead.com/
BILLY DROZE WAITS OUT THE STORM
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Louisiana born bluegrass icon Billy Droze returns with a video he filmed before the Tennessee tornadoes and Covid-19.
Billy, 33, is 10th of 12 children of revered gospel-bluegrass act Bob Droze and grew up in Alabama.
Bob, like Ray Stevens, is still active as an artist in his eighties.
Billy followed him to Texas at 16 and filmed Waiting Out The Storm at Logger's Inn at Santa Fe , Tennessee.
The title track of Billy's fifth album follows his Nu Country debut with Coal Fed Train from fourth album To Whom It May Concern.
Droze met singing spouse Marija on a Lithuania tour and they have two sons Nicholas and Timothy.
He penned bluegrass hits including I Know Better for The Grascals , Junior Sisk, Flatt Lonesome, Marty Raybon and Randy Kohrs.
Billy also wrote songs recorded by country artists Darryl Worley, Billy Yates, Shenandoah and expat Australian Jamie O'Neal.
Droze grew up in Alabama knowing music was his life.
“It's as if I was inserted with a computer chip that made my life revolve around music,” Droze revealed.
Billy was on stage with Bob since he was four years old and spent his childhood singing with him in churches, bluegrass festivals and honky-tonks.
Droze learned guitar when he was 12.
As a teenager he walked miles down country roads, carrying his guitar, just to play songs and at 16 followed his dad to Texas and spent a year in his band.
Then after rambling around Texas he moved to Nashville and sang for Grammy winners Shenandoah (using the name Billy Ryan).
Further info - https://billydroze.com/about/
JIMMIE ALLEN AND NOAH CYRUS AVOID VIRUS
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Delaware singer-songwriter Jimmie Allen chose a Cyrus - not a virus - for his return to Nu Country.
Singing actress Noah Cyrus, just 20, is fifth child of Kentuckian singer-actor Billy Ray and Tish Cyrus.
Jimmie, 34, and Noah perform their This Was Us video that follows his debut album Mercury Lane .
Jimmie was raised on church music in hometown Milton by his grandmother.
When he moved to Nashville he lived in his car while chasing childhood dreams.
Allen credits his humility, despite recent success, to family.
“Probably my grandma. I grew up in church and just overall some of my favorite people ever were servants, and servants in the word of putting other peoples' needs above themselves” recalled Allen who debuted on Nu Country with Make Me Want To on November 30.
Allen is open about mental and physical health issues - like his grandfather and father he suffered a heart attack in his early 20s.
His father Big Jim, who died at 65 in September this year, had several bypass surgeries.
"He's the redneck of the family," Allen joked before his death.
"He's a small-town boy, country guy. Military, played sports, listened to nothing but country music. I'm talking like nothing - you change the dial on his radio and you'll get punched in the forehead."
Allen explained his multi-instrumental prowess began on guitar.
“I got tired of paying somebody $50 to play it,” Jimmie explained.
“My first instrument, I grew up playing the drums, I was a drummer. I played trumpet in band. I played harmonica, I played piano. And I got to Nashville and I would play these writers rounds and I would have to pay someone $50 to play, and I'm like, “Yeah I'm over that.” So I went and bought a guitar and figured out how to play my songs.”
Debut #1 hit Best Shot scored two consecutive weeks top U.S. Country charts.
Further info - https://www.jimmieallenmusic.com/
LUCILLE FLIES OVER THE WALL
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Berlin born Melbourne singer Lucille recalls another wall that fell in her return.
She lived in England and New Zealand before coming here to chase her dreams.
She performs her satiric video Come on Fly - title track of her debut album out on June 26.
Her previous Nu Country videos were Kerikeri and Killing Season - 10 years of Politics in 4 minutes.
The latter was based on Sara Ferguson's three-part ABC series Killing Season.
Further info - https://musicbylucille.com/
HOW TO KEEP NU COUNTRY ON AIR
We need your support in Nu Country TV's 44th series with Australian record companies and major artists teaming to ensure our survival.
Singing Texan crime novelist Kinky Friedman has donated his 18th album Resurrection that features Willie Nelson.
You can join Watling & Bates as members and win their 13 track CD Small Town Tales and Kip Moore's third album Slowheart .
We also have other CDS by major artists you can win by becoming a Nu Country TV member or renewing your membership.
They include Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Gary Allan, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church and late larrikin legend A.P. Johnson.
CLICK HERE for our Membership Page for details.